Media & Public Relations

"From Genes to Geography: The Role of Neighborhood Context in the Lives of Children" topic of talk

2014-02-07

BINGHAMTON, NY – The Binghamton Community Lab will host a mixer and discussion titled "From Genes to Geography:The Role of Neighborhood Context in the Lives of Children" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the Lost Dog Cafe Violet Room, 222 Water St. in Binghamton. This event is free and open to the public. Participants are welcome to purchase an optional, self-pay dinner at 6 p.m.

Speaker Chris Gibson, a collaborator for the Binghamton Neighborhood Project, is research foundation professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law at the University of Florida and William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) Du Bois Fellow at the National Institute of Justice. He will discuss the outcomes of children growing up in impoverished neighborhoods. He will illustrate how the structural conditions of neighborhoods hinder psychological and behavioral development and how neighborhood social processes enhance healthy development.

Gibson will also discuss how attributes of children – including genetic differences – are important for understanding the connection between neighborhoods and child outcomes. Research examples from three large-scale child development studies – the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADD Health) and the Families and Community Health Study – will illustrate the important role of geography in the lives of children. Discussion will also explore possible ways communities can use such information to address healthy child development.

The Binghamton Community Lab is a gathering place for citizen investigators to create and support improvements that will grow a healthier, wealthier and strong Binghamton region. The series, held regularly on the second Tuesday of each month, will be facilitated by David Sloan Wilson, SUNY distinguished professor of biology and anthropology at Binghamton University and founder of the Binghamton Neighborhood Project, and David Currie, director of the Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition.